Wellesley College Admission Report
WELLESLEY, MASSACHUSETTS
Tips (from an expert!) for writing
effective college recommendations
FALL 2015
See how affordable
Wellesley may be!
Ann Velenchik, Director of First Year Academic Programs, offers advice from the
perspective of a Board of Admission reader on how to make your letter of
recommendation a more useful contribution to your students’ application dossiers.
Says Professor Velenchik, “We want to
admit students who are going to succeed and thrive here at Wellesley. We’re
trying to find evidence in a student’s
background that she has the academic
preparation, character skills, study habits,
and whole package of things that make
somebody able to come to a reasonably
high pressure environment, succeed,
thrive, and be happy here.”
According to Professor Velenchik, each
student’s application contains two types
of information: (1) objective (test scores,
transcripts, school activities, lists of activities) and (2) narrative (counselor report/
letter, teacher letters, and the student’s
essay and other written elements of the
Common App). She anticipates that she’ll
get an objective data-driven view of each
student and then go into the narrative to
understand more of the data by virtue of
the narrative’s context, richness, and perspective. We hope you’ll find the following
tips to be useful:
• Provide context.
Counselor letters provide context to a
student’s list of activities, make it more
robust, and help admission readers
understand where the student really
leads and shines, as well as where
she has invested herself. For example,
when other people at the school talk
about a student, what things are
associated with her? If you have a
student who’s a fencer and that’s what
Continued on page 3.
Try My inTuition, Wellesley’s Quick College Cost Estimator yourself and see
how easy this tool is. Then encourage
your top female students to try it and
find out how Wellesley might be their
most affordable higher-education option.
www.wellesley.edu/costestimator
Class of 2019 Profile
See next page
Why a women’s college?
See back page
New admission leadership: Joy St. John, Dean; Grace S. Cheng, Director
Dean of Admission and Financial Aid
at Wellesley Joy St. John began this
leadership role in May, having previously
served as Wellesley’s Director of Admission for the last five years. Says Wellesley
President H. Kim Bottomly, “In recent
years, Wellesley has seen the largest
applicant pools in the College’s history,
as well as measurable increases in the
ability and diversity of applicants, and of
admitted and enrolling students. Joy has
a profound understanding of the College
and of the needs of Admission and Financial Aid in particular, and I know Wellesley
will benefit from her strategic leadership
and broad industry knowledge.”
Joy served as Associate Dean of Admission at Amherst, held admission roles at
Tufts and Occidental, as well as a college
counseling role at The Bishop’s School
in La Jolla, CA. She earned a B.A. from
Stanford and a J.D. from UCLA School of
Law. Originally from Portland, Oregon, Joy
is an avid runner, having completed many
marathons and triathlons.
She succeeds former Dean of Admission
and Financial Aid Jennifer Desjarlais, who
joined the executive search firm Witt/Kieffer.
Director of Admission Grace S. Cheng
began her role at Wellesley in August.
Previously she was Associate Director of
Admissions for Staff Development in the
Harvard College Admissions Office. Grace
worked as a senior member of Harvard’s
undergraduate admissions team since
2002, taking a three-year professional
development leave to serve as a founding
member of the Taipei American School’s
College Counseling Office.
Grace graduated from Harvard College
cum laude, is a CPA, holds an M.S. in accounting and an MBA, and is completing
an Ed.D in higher education administration at Northeastern. An accomplished
chef, she was almost seen on Season
Four of MasterChef.
providing an excellent education in the liberal arts and sciences for women who will make a difference in the world
Wellesley College Class of 2019 Profile
Statistics as of 9-10-15
Demographics
Mean Test Scores
Students of color 46%
African American/Black
7%
Latina/Hispanic9%
Asian American/
Pacific Islander
22%
Native American
<1%
Biracial
7%
Multiracial
<1%
White/Caucasian39%
International Citizen 14%
Unknown/Not Reported 2%
SAT Critical Reading
694
SAT Writing
703
SAT Math
696
ACT31
For more statistics on applicant test scores
go to www.wellesley.edu/admission/facts
Citizenships Represented
31 citizenships represented; dual citizen
nations excluded
Lithuania
Australia
Burundi
Morocco
Nepal
Canada
Chile
Nigeria
China
Pakistan
Republic of Korea
Ecuador
France
Rwanda
Singapore
Ghana
Haiti
Sri Lanka
Hong Kong
Thailand
Turkey
India
United Kingdom
Indonesia
Italy
United States
Japan
Vietnam
Jordan
Zimbabwe
Kenya
Secondary School Type
Public65%
Private/Independent33%
Parochial2%
Home0%
596 enrolling (43%)
44 states represented (+ DC, Guam, Virgin Islands)
31 citizenships represented
46% students of color
60% received a financial
aid award
Alumnae Relatives
Alumnae relatives include mothers,
grandmothers, aunts, or sisters
Percent of Entering Class
14%
First Generation
Neither parent attended college
Percent of Entering Class
13%
Acceptance Information
EN
RO
LL
ED
by Entrance Plan
AC
CE
PT
ED
44 states plus D.C., Guam, Virgin Islands
States with more than 10 students
California85
Minnesota20
Massachusetts67
Maine17
New York
45
Pennsylvania14
New Jersey
36
Virginia14
Texas25
Florida12
Connecticut24
New Hampshire11
Illinois21
Washington11
Top Ten Percent
80%
% of Enrolling Class Not Ranked 64%
%
States Represented
1,380 admitted (30%)
(of those ranked)
AC
CE
PT
ED
New England
21%
Pacific & Mountain
22%
South16%
Mid-Atlantic16%
Central11%
International &
Americans Abroad
15%
4,623 applicants
High School Rank
AP
PL
IE
D
Geographic Distribution
Class of 2019 Snapshot
Total
4623 1380 30%596
____________________________________
Early
Decision *
376
166 44% 163
___________________________________
Early
Evaluation ** 1953
712 36% 238
__________________________________
Regular
Decision
2286 502 22%180
____________________________________
Accelerated
Candidates 8 0 0%0
____________________________________
Deferred from
Previous Year 15
* Of the 376 ED candidates, 120 were
deferred, of whom 20 were admitted in
April; 84 ED candidates were refused in
December;28% of the Class of 2019 were
admitted Early Decision.
Wellesley College
Admission Staff
Dean of Admission & Financial Aid
Joy St. John
jstjohn@wellesley.edu
Director of Admission
Grace S. Cheng
gcheng2@wellesley.edu
Associate Directors
Lauren Dennis ’02
ldennis@wellesley.edu
Milena Mareva ’01
mmareva@wellesley.edu
Danielle Wells
dwells2@wellesley.edu
Anna L. Young
ayoung@wellesley.edu
Senior Assistant Director
Lucy Pelham
lpelham@wellesley.edu
Assistant Directors
Molly Morrow ’10
mmorrow@wellesley.edu
Natasha Robinson
nrobins5@wellesley.edu
** Of the 712 EE applicants admitted, 124
were designated as Possible Admits and
admitted in April.
Lisa Summergrad
lsummerg@wellesley.edu
% Receiving Financial Aid
Admission Counselor
Kathy Xie ’15
kxie@wellesley.edu
60% of the Class of 2019 received a
financial aid award: www.wellesley.edu/sfs
Tips (from an expert!) for writing effective
college recommendations continued from p.1.
everybody says, and it’s one of 10
things on her list, the counselor letter
makes me find out what her priorities
and passions really are, what she’s
really engaged in, and how she is as a
person.
personality? Academic strengths and
skills are more telling than lengthy
descriptors of her work ethic. All
Wellesley students are conscientious
and diligent; that’s assumed, so it’s
not terribly useful information.
• Add something new.
That’s really important. Frequently
letters from counselors and teachers
say the same thing. They all list the
students’ activities, so now I don’t
know anything that I didn’t know before. I understand you cannot control
the teachers, but if we can help them
to understand that if what they bring
to the party is different, we can get a
broader perspective. The best situation is where every piece draws on the
writer’s specific expertise and experience with the student.
• Avoid gender bias in language and
content.
Frequently letters to Wellesley refer to
a student as “polite.” “Polite” is a minimum requirement of college success,
but tells us nothing about intellectual
power or force of personality. While
female students are often described
as “polite,” “helpful,” “cheerful,” or
“cooperative,” male students almost
never are. My son is at an all-boys’
school and his college counselor tells
me they never describe a student as
polite. Take a moment to think about
such adjectives and whether they offer
anything beyond the bare minimum.
• Encourage teachers to provide
academic examples and insights.
Teacher letters can provide broader
and deeper understanding of academic performance than grades alone.
Concrete examples and anecdotes are
more helpful than quantitative measures, adjectives, or generalizations.
Tell me about a term paper, an exam,
or a presentation in which a student
excelled. When she participates in
class, what is that participation like? Is
she the kid who asks the question that
everybody else is thinking about but
nobody else has dared to ask? Is she
the one who turns the conversation in
different ways? Does she always have
something to say? Highlight areas of
particular strength and explain gaps or
weak spots in her record. We’re less
interested in the narrative of what her
grades are than in how much she challenged herself.
• Discuss intellectual attributes and
personal qualities.
I want that very specific context of “this
is how I know her.” What is her mind
like? What is she passionate about
intellectually? How does she think?
How is she creative? Is she articulate?
Is she a leader? Show us evidence of
why she will thrive here. Give us examples of what her peers think about
her. We want to hear about intellectual
attributes. Is she an incisive thinker or
solid writer? Does she have a dynamic
• Don’t tell us what we already know.
For example, “Susie expects to graduate in June,” an explanation of what
precalculus is, information we can find
in the school report, or a duplication of
the lengthy list of a student’s activities
that she has already provided isn’t helpful. However, substantive information on
her participation or perspectives from
coaches, faculty, or peers is. If she has
a particular strength or had a lousy 10th
grade, an explanation would be helpful.
• Share, but not unnecessarily or
overly.
If a student has overcome obstacles or
dealt with family turmoil, that’s enough
information for now. She may talk
about it in her essay or elsewhere in
her application. If she has confided in
you that she had a brief depressive episode, but it didn’t affect her academic
record, it’s not essential to share. And
it may also be inappropriate if the
student doesn’t know you’re divulging
such information.
• Remember that letter length is not
related to letter quality.
Don’t feel your recommendation needs
to be a tome. We’re looking for vivid
language, specific examples, insights,
and context; nonetheless, it can be
brief.
Professional
Development
Opportunities
Interested in seeing Professor Velenchik’s full presentation on Writing
Effective Recommendations?
Wellesley is offering a series of videos
and webinars (including Writing Effective Recommendations) to provide
guidance counselors with helpful
insights from our side of the desk.
If you would like to receive these
professional development offerings for
guidance and college counselors, as
well as other relevant updates, please
contact Molly Morrow via email at
mmorrow@wellesley.edu.
Visit us on campus, on
the road, or virtually
Visit Wellesley’s campus
For information about campus tours,
information sessions, class visits, lunch
visits, or overnight visits, call the Admission Office (781-283-2270) or visit our
website: wellesley.edu/admission.
Meet us on the road
See if a Wellesley admission officer
is visiting your region this fall. Go to
https://travel.wellesley.edu/secure/
on_the_road/
New! Meet us virtually
Beginning in October, Wellesley will offer several Virtual Information Sessions
via WebEx. Topics will include the firstyear experience, the classroom
dynamic, faculty mentoring, research
opportunities, internships, study
abroad, and the admission and financial aid process. There will also be time
for Q&A. Go to: www.wellesley.edu/
admission/visitus/virtual/.
WELLESLEY COLLEGE
106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA 02481
www.wellesley.edu
Admission Office
781-283-2270
admission@wellesley.edu
www.wellesley.edu/admission
Student Financial Services
781-283-2360
sfs@wellesley.edu
www.wellesley.edu/sfs
Why a women’s college?
The world’s preeminent college for
women, Wellesley is known for intellectual rigor, its belief in the enduring
importance of service (and putting that
belief into practice), and its cultivation
in students of an inclusive, pragmatic
approach to leadership. How does the fact
that we are an all-women’s institution
factor into what makes Wellesley unique?
Differences in students’ college experiences—whether geographical, socioeconomic, ethnic, or religious—allow them to
have a “lived” understanding of diversity.
The sense of agility in a fast-paced and
ever-changing world is only part of why
Wellesley women are pioneers in so
many different industries.
WELLESLEY STATISTICS
• 100% of Wellesley’s 13 presidents
have been women
involved with active and collaborative
learning. The way women discuss,
engage, and learn from one another is
different in the coeducational environment. In the single-sex classroom
women are more likely to engage in integrative activities that lead to deeper
learning.
It comes as no surprise that students
get more out of college when they
engage with their community in and
outside of the classroom. One study
(Hardwick-Day, 2012) found that students at women’s colleges were more
likely to participate in service work,
extracurricular activities, and varsity
athletics than their peers at public flagship universities.
With the highest percentage of female-
• 100% of student leadership positions are filled by women
• 100% of institutional resources are
dedicated to female undergraduates
Yes, attending a women’s college
will undoubtedly be different than
the coeducational experience. We
are aware of the stereotypes and recognize the preconceived notions of
single-sex institutions as antiquated
finishing schools or convent-like environments. Yet when you ask a current
Wellesley student, or an alumna, she
will tell you that it was perhaps the
most enriching and fulfilling aspect of
her educational experience. Students
at women’s colleges explore and
embrace their talents as individuals
and graduate with a strong sense of
themselves as a person, before giving thought to gender.
2. The learning environment:
statistics don’t lie!
The National Survey of Student Engagement has found what Wellesley
graduates have said for years: Students at women’s colleges are more
Most women’s colleges provide a
tight-knit classroom setting with a low
student-to-faculty ratio, and research
shows that there is a greater amount
of student-faculty collaboration at women’s colleges. The personal support
and mentorship gained through these
experiences enriches learning and
builds confidence. All of this means
that women are ultimately getting more
out of their college experience.
3. Personal development: with
a little help from your friends
(faculty)
• Almost 60% of tenured faculty are
women
1. The all women’s thing?
Don’t believe the rumors
tenured faculty anywhere, a history
of only female presidents, and young
women in every student leadership
role, women are at the helm at Wellesley. Having highly visible and accessible female role models, particularly
in traditionally male-dominated roles,
allows students to observe female
leadership in action. In a single-sex
environment, young women cultivate a
sense of leadership in themselves and
in turn become well prepared for their
entrance to the professional world.
MORE STATISTICS
What women’s college alumnae say:
• 81% said say their college was extremely or very effective in helping
prepare them for their first job
• They are almost twice as likely to
complete a graduate degree as a public university alumna (51% women’s
college alumnae versus 27% public
university alumni)
• 90% of women’s colleges alumnae
believe the financial investment was
worthwhile
• 72% were completely satisfied with
the quality of their education (versus
41% of flagship public university
alumnae and 60% from coed liberal
arts colleges)
Comparative Alumnae Research Study
Hardwick-Day, 2012
4. A powerful, passionate, and
lifelong alumnae network
Steeped in tradition, the atmosphere
at a women’s college is one that is
rich with history. Women’s colleges
are intentional communities that foster
life-long friendships (Women’s College
Coalition). Similar to the strong ties to
tradition, women’s colleges are also
dedicated to maintaining strong alumnae networks.
Wellesley’s 34,000 active alumnae
contribute to what has been referred
to as the most powerful women’s
network on the planet. Evidence of
their passion and commitment to
continuing to provide future opportunities for women includes their ongoing
commitment to funding internships,
building buildings, and starting genius
projects. Most importantly, they give
back to the place that played a significant role in helping them become successful. Last year, more than 16,000
dedicated alumnae and friends made
gifts ranging from $10 to $250,000.
5. Impressive outcomes
Experiencing college in an environ-
ment that is rich with student-faculty
collaboration, centered on interactive
learning, and conducive to personal
growth means that those who graduate from women’s colleges are not
only well prepared for life after college
but also are poised for success. It is
no coincidence that many of the most
well-known female pioneers are alumnae of single-sex institutions.
DID YOU KNOW?
• Women’s college graduates make
up 2% of the college graduate
population, yet comprise more
than 20% of women in Congress
and 33% of the women on Fortune
500 boards.